Flexible bath brush



Sept. 10, 1935. w. A. RILEY FLEXIBLE BATH BRUSH Filed Dec. 26, 1954 WITNESSES INVENTOR WCZZZEI" JZ'. Riley BY Won x4 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to bath brushes and particularly to an improved flexible brush, an object being to provide a construction which may be used as a massage device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bath brush of coarse rubber or other suitable material, which may be used to apply soap or to rub any part of the body, and which may be manipulated at different points either at the back or front of the body by a longitudinal action, a

scraping action, or a rolling action.

A further object, more specifically, is to provide a flexible bath device having a resilient contacting portion and a flexible support therefor including a resiliently mounted handle, whereby as the device is pulled back and forth there will be a yielding action and also a flexing to conform to the shape of the body.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a side view of a flexible bath brush disclosing an embodiment of the invention, a portion at the center being broken away and shown in section for better illustrating the construction;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through Fig. 1 approximately on the line 2-2, the same being appreciably enlarged;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View through part of one end of the brush shown in Fig. l, and illustrating how the handle and associated parts are formed, the same being on substantially the same scale as shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the device bowed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, I indicates a resilient body which may be made from porous or other form of rubber, and which has integral ends 2 and 3 presenting round flange portions. The body I has a centrally positioned longitudinally extending bore in which a flexible rubber hose or pipe 4 is fitted, said hose extending preferably beyond each end of the body. A metallic chain 5 extends through the rubber hose or pipe 4 and fits rather snugly therein. As the respective ends of the brush are identical in construction, the showing in Fig. 3 illustrates the structure at both ends and the description of this figure is apt to both ends. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the rubber hose or pipe 4 extends an appreciable distance from the body I and fits snugly in a tube 6 of metal or other comparatively stiff rigid material. This tube 6 is provided with a flange 1 normally fitting against the end of the body I. Over the tube 6 is slidably positioned a nut 8, the threads being arranged on the exterior thereof, and normally interlocking with the threads on a ring 9 embedded in a handle I 0. The handle Iii may be of rubber, leather, wood, or other material and provided with a vent opening I I at the extreme end, and also the handle is 5 preferably provided with shallow grooves I2 so as to present ridges I3 whereby the parts may be grasped. In addition, the end of the handle is rounded and formed into a ball-shaped portion It to prevent the hand accidentally slipping off 10 when the device is in use. When the parts have been assembled as shown, for instance in Fig. 3 and it should be desirable to remove the handle I0, the same may be readily removed by a rotation in the proper direction. The nut 8 is held by friction sufficiently to permit the handle III to be readily screwed on and off as desired. As the handle I 0 is usually of rubber, a pair of pliers may be inserted beneath the end of the grip and the nut 8 grasped and held during the rotation of the handle though this is seldom necessary. It will be noted that the tightness of the handle on the nut is not the same as a large piece of machinery but is ample to hold the handle in place during the actuation of the device. If the handle H3 is grasped and pressed toward the body I and then rotated in the proper direction, an unscrewing action will take place. The spring I5 automatically provides a certain amount of friction.

If any additional friction is desired pressure as just described will be sufiicient.

A spring I5 rests at one end against the nut 8 and at the other end against a washer I8, which washer is held in place by an abutment or stop I1 secured to the end link of chain 5 by any suitable means, as, for instance, a cotter pin I 8. When the respective handles I I! and ID are grasped and pulled away from each other, the springs I5 at the respective ends will be compressed more or less and will act to return the handles to their former position when released. It will be evident that these springs could be of any desired strength so that it would require either a slight pull to move the handles or a greater pull, as may be desired. When the handles are being pulled, the nut 8 will slide over the tube 6 to a greater or less extent according to the strain thereon, but will always return to its normal position when permitted. The sliding of the handle is desirable particularly where a comparatively tall or large person uses the device, as it provides for the elongation of the device to a certain extent, which will permit easy actuation while the stretching of the device provides exercise for the arms in addition to a massaging action. It will beobserved that by reason of the stiff tube 6, the handle portion of the device is not flexible but is yieldable longitudinally of the device.

The body of the device from the exterior end portions of the flanges l2 and I3 is very flexible and may be bent around to the position shown in Fig. 4 or bent to a greater extent, and when bent may be rotated more or less. The brush is adapt-- ed to be used during bathing or immediately thereafter and maybe used to apply soapto the body, though ordinarily this is not done. Usually the device is used near the end of the bath and may be rolled over the body, or more or less doubled as shown in Fig. 4 and pulled and dragged over the body. Also the handles H] and I may i be grasped and the device pulled back and forth in a longitudinal reciprocating manner either in front or back of the body, or at some other point. In this way, a desired massage and friction action is secured which will bring a healthy glow to the skin and which will help in putting the muscles in better flexing condition.

I claim:

l. A flexible bath brush, comprising a tubular flexible rubber resilient body having enlarged ends, a flexible tube extending through said body, a flexible metallic member extending through said tube and projecting beyond the ends thereof, and a handle at each end of said flexible metallic member slidingly connected thereto, said handles fitting over those parts of said tube which project beyond said body.

2. A flexible bath brush, comprising a body of comparatively coarse rubber, a flexible member extending through said body, a comparatively stiif tube at each end of said body connected to said flexible member, and a handle for each stifi tube provided with an annular inwardly extending portion, a spring with the opposite end resting on said annular inwardly extending portion 6 and then returned by said spring, whereby said handle may be slid along said comparatively stifi tube surrounding said stiflf tube, and means carried by said stiff tube forming an abutment against which one end of said spring presses. 10

3. A flexible bath brush, comprising a comparatively long flexible body, a flexible chain extending through said body and projecting beyond the ends thereof, a tube surrounding each end of said chain, said tube normally resting against said body, a spring surrounding each tube, means at one end of each tube acting as an abutmentfor the respective springs, and a handle surrounding each tube and spring, each handle having an inwardly extending member engaging one end of the spring whereby when either handle is pulled in a direction away from said body the spring associated therewith will be brought under tension.

i. A flexible bath brush, including a body many times longer than it is thick, a flexible rubber tube extending through said body longitudinally, a flexible member acting as a cable extending through said rubber tube and projecting beyond the ends thereof, a metallic sleeve secured to the projecting portion of said rubber tube at the respective ends thereof, a handle mounted to slide longitudinally toward and from said body over each of said sleeves at each end of the body, and means for resiliently holding one end of said handies against said body.

WALTER A. RILEY. 

